Art Trends – Artiholicshttps://artiholics.com
Artwork From Around The World, From The Eye Of An ArtistTue, 19 Mar 2019 01:05:57 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.4The MET Museum Hosts an Exhibit Dedicated to Rock Music Instrumentshttps://artiholics.com/2019/02/20/the-met-museum-hosts-an-exhibit-dedicated-to-rock-music-instruments/
https://artiholics.com/2019/02/20/the-met-museum-hosts-an-exhibit-dedicated-to-rock-music-instruments/#respondWed, 20 Feb 2019 19:19:43 +0000https://artiholics.com/?p=14624What genre of music do you love listening to? Music might not be your preference, maybe you would rather watch a movie or swim or read a book. Well, we all have different preferences and personally music is a favorite, I listen to almost all genres so long as I get to love it, from …

What genre of music do you love listening to? Music might not be your preference, maybe you would rather watch a movie or swim or read a book. Well, we all have different preferences and personally music is a favorite, I listen to almost all genres so long as I get to love it, from Rhythm and Blues to rock music to Hip-hop name them. Music helps relax my mind, brings out my deepest feelings and sometimes it boosts my morale when I’m doing things that I don’t really enjoy doing like folding laundry or doing the dishes. While in traffic music is also such a good company; with my earphones on, my playlist ready and the artists doing what they do best I will almost forget that I’m stuck in traffic.

Rock is one of the most unique and popular genres of music. It originated as “rock & roll” in the United states in the early 1950s and developed into a range of different styles. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s, a style which drew heavily on the genres such as rhythm and blues, electric blues, folk and country music.

The late Chuck Berry; Photo Courtesy of internet

The late Elvis Presley perfoming; Photo Courtesy of internet

Photo Courtesy of internet

Photo Courtesy of internet

Typical instruments used to create rock music are electric guitars, bass guitars, keyboards and the vocals. Rock music is basically all about feeling and moving to it. Elvis Presley a rock musician once said, “Rock and roll music, if you like it, if you feel it, you can’t help but move to it. That’s what happens to me. I can’t help it.”As much as the vocals are important in this particular genre of music, I tend to believe that instruments are everything in rock music; the guitars and the keyboard are the “heart” of this music.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be hosting an exhibit called “Play it loud: Instruments of rock and roll. This will be the first major exhibition dedicated to rock music instruments. The exhibit is set to feature 130 different musical instruments used by some of the “big names” in the rock music industry from Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, the Beatles and the Rolling stone among others.

Photo Courtesy of internet

Photo Courtesy of internet

Photo Courtesy of internet

Photo Courtesy of internet

The instruments were gathered from 70 private and
public collections in the United States and in The United Kingdom. The exhibit
will span from 1939 to 2017, featuring Hendrix’s “Flying V” guitar, Eric
Clapton’s “Blackie,” Jerry Garcia’s “Wolf,” Chuck Berry’s main guitar from 1957
to 1963, St. Vincent’s 2015 electric guitars, Keith Moon’s “Pictures of Lily”
drumset and Keith Emerson’s Moog synthesizer and Hammond Organ.

The rock instruments exhibition will start on April
1st 2019 up until October 1st 2019. It will later make the
permanent move to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. This is going to
be a totally different kind of exhibition aside from the normal exhibition of
paintings, sculptors, drawings and photography among others, this time round
the MET museum is bringing to you the “tools of rock music.” You will get to
see the instruments that are responsible for your moves.

]]>https://artiholics.com/2019/02/20/the-met-museum-hosts-an-exhibit-dedicated-to-rock-music-instruments/feed/0UK POSTAL SERVICE FEATURES LEONARDO DA VINCI’S MOST FAMOUS WORKS ON STAMPShttps://artiholics.com/2019/02/16/uk-postal-service-features-leonardo-da-vincis-most-famous-works-on-stamps/
https://artiholics.com/2019/02/16/uk-postal-service-features-leonardo-da-vincis-most-famous-works-on-stamps/#respondSat, 16 Feb 2019 12:41:55 +0000https://artiholics.com/?p=14569Leonardo Da Vinci, a well-known painter, sculptor, architect, scientist and engineer. He was one of the greatest minds of the Italian Renaissance, and his influence on painting was and still is enormous to the current generation especially that which is interested in art. Leonardo is still a major deal in the world of art; his …

Leonardo Da Vinci, a well-known painter, sculptor, architect, scientist and engineer. He was one of the greatest minds of the Italian Renaissance, and his influence on painting was and still is enormous to the current generation especially that which is interested in art. Leonardo is still a major deal in the world of art; his works are an inspiration to upcoming artists and art lovers, different museums across the world celebrate his art and legacy 500 years down the line.

Some of Leonardo’s famous paintings till today which are also worth millions of dollars include the “Mona Lisa” painting which is estimated to be worth $782million if it were to be sold today and the “Salvator Mundi” painting which is estimated to be worth $450 millions among many others.

It is such a great and
rare honor to come across Leonardo’s works leave alone own a piece. However,
the UK Postal Service, the Royal Mail will now bring Leonardo’s most famous
works to your mail box. The Royal Mail is issuing a run of stamps featuring
some of the artist’s most renowned drawings to commemorate the 500th
anniversary of Leonardo’s death. This will basically be a way of celebrating
Leonardo’s art and legacy.

Different museums from all over the world are celebrating the art and legacy of the Italian Painter. The Leonardo stamp edition coincides with 12 exhibitions that are currently on view across the UK as part of the series “Leonardo Da Vinci: A life in drawing.” Each drawing that is on the stamp aligns with a work on view at each of the 12 galleries.

The skull sectioned-stampPhoto Courtesy of Internet

A star-of-Bethlehem and other plantsPhoto Courtesy of internet

Studies of cats-stampPhoto Courtesy of Internet

The fall of light on a face-stamp Photo Courtesy of internet

The head of St. Philip,-stamp Photo Courtesy of Internet

The Skeleton-stamp Photo Courtesy of Internet

On the stamps, several known-works of Leonardo are printed such as The Skull sections (1489) and the head of Leda (1505-1508), a study for his eventual painting of the myth of Leda, the queen of Sparta, which was the most valuable work in his estate when he died. Other stamps show the artist’s studies of skeletons, joints and cats.

All the works on the stamps are part of the Royal Collection, which has the largest and arguably most extremely beautiful holding of drawings by the artist in the world. The works are kept inside the Print Room at Windsor Castle and only a dozen of them are out for the nationwide exhibition program, which launched on February 1st and will be on view till May 6th. Martin Clayton, the head of prints and drawings at the Royal Collection Trust said in a statement, “We are thrilled to join the celebration of Leonardo and his work in 2019.”

A woman in a landscape-stampPhoto courtesy of internet

The anatomy of the shoulder and foot-stampPhoto courtesy of internet

A design for an equestrian monument-stampPhoto courtesy of internet

A sprig of guelder-rose-stampPhoto courtesy of internet

The head of a bearded man-stampPhoto courtesy of internet

The head of Leda-stampPhoto courtesy of internet

Two weeks after the
series of UK exhibitions close, the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace will
open a massive show of more than 200 drawings by Leonardo which will run until
October 13.

Leonardo once said, “No one should ever imitate the style of another because, with regard to art, he will be called a nephew and not a child of nature,” true to his words, he had his own unique style of creating his work and he followed it till the time of his demise. Leonardo was indeed a child of nature and he will forever be celebrated and recognized in the world of art.

]]>https://artiholics.com/2019/02/16/uk-postal-service-features-leonardo-da-vincis-most-famous-works-on-stamps/feed/0How The Heart Became A Symbol of LOVEhttps://artiholics.com/2019/02/14/how-the-heart-became-a-symbol-of-love/
https://artiholics.com/2019/02/14/how-the-heart-became-a-symbol-of-love/#respondThu, 14 Feb 2019 14:24:52 +0000https://artiholics.com/?p=14589Every day is a chance for us to show some love to our partners, family and friends, however February, in particular, is the month of love and we can call it “home” to Valentine’s Day. For some it is a chance to re-assure important people in our lives how much we love them and for …

Every day is a chance for us to show some love to our partners, family and friends, however February, in particular, is the month of love and we can call it “home” to Valentine’s Day. For some it is a chance to re-assure important people in our lives how much we love them and for others it is a perfect time to proclaim our love for the first time. Valentine’s Day is basically a chance to go extra hard for your loved ones.

They say that there is only one happiness in life, to love and to be loved. Well, this is arguable depending on what you think “happiness” is. To love is to feel and act lovingly and I tend to believe that one of the best ways to live your life, is by loving others and getting some love in return.

Whether it is from your family, friends, colleagues, wife, husband, siblings or even your fiancé, it feels great to love and be loved. We have always used the heart as a symbol of love. Ever asked yourself why we “place” the people we love in our hearts. Why the heart? Why not our eyes? How did we start symbolizing the heart with love? Tricky and weird question huh? Probably this question has never crossed your mind.

Cover and opening page of “Romance de la pear”

Image courtesy of Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

Image courtesy of Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

Today, the heart shape is the universal symbol of romantic love. People send millions of “digital hearts” over the web every day to express their adoration to someone or something. There are so many theories explaining why the heart is used as a symbol of love and there is one from the Medieval French illustration that gives us a clue. It was the first non-medical European illustration of a heart and it came into existence in the 1250s. It is actually a drawing that accompanies le Roman De La Poire which means “Romance of the pear,” a medieval French love poem by Thibaut. The poem talks about a lover who gives away a pear, which is considered to be the origin of the idea that a person in love can “give” his or her heart to someone they love.

This is interesting because today, we give our hearts to
those we love with the hope that they will not disappoint us or make us
question their loyalty to us. In the poem, the illustration depicts a kneeling
lover who “gives” his heart to a lady. The heart shape is similar to that of a
pine cone.

Now you have a clue on why you “give” your heart to the ones
you love.

]]>https://artiholics.com/2019/02/14/how-the-heart-became-a-symbol-of-love/feed/0BURGER KING FEATURES ANDY WARHOL FOR ITS SUPER BOWL LIII COMMERCIALhttps://artiholics.com/2019/02/04/burger-king-features-andy-warhol-for-its-super-bowl-liii-commercial/
https://artiholics.com/2019/02/04/burger-king-features-andy-warhol-for-its-super-bowl-liii-commercial/#respondTue, 05 Feb 2019 04:04:39 +0000https://artiholics.com/?p=14551Which is that one advert on your screen that gets you hooked always? Adverts appeal to viewers in different ways for instance an advert could be appealing because it is hilarious or the person advertising the product is your favorite celebrity among many other reasons. Adverts influence our selection of product or services and it …

Which is that one
advert on your screen that gets you hooked always? Adverts appeal to viewers in
different ways for instance an advert could be appealing because it is hilarious
or the person advertising the product is your favorite celebrity among many
other reasons. Adverts influence our selection of product or services and it is
the objective of every advertiser to ensure that the advert gets the point home
and the product off the shelves.

Burger King is an American global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants and is also the fifth-largest fast food chain with numerous locations in the world. The burger chain has been advertising in very unique ways from advertising its delivery service with actual car accidents to fiercely throwing jabs at its largest competitor, McDonald’s. This time round the Burger King’s Super Bowl commercial leaves you thinking “okay, that was it?” You would actually think that something catchy would happen in the ad but there is none really.

courtesy of internet

courtesy of internet

courtesy of internet

The Burger king Super Bowl
commercial has featured the iconic artist Andy Warhol. Warhol was a well-known legendary
painter, sculptor and filmmaker and was also the leading figure in the visual
art movement known as Pop art. The 45-seconds commercial simply shows Warhol silently
unwrapping the burger from a burger king bag adding a little ketchup and eating
it. In a press statement, Burger King said “the spot is meant to break through
the tradition of super bowl commercial break filled with explosions, slapstick
jokes and celebrities with an almost silent, yet powerful work of art.” The ad
is really simple and as they say, Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Interestingly, the clip
that has been used in the burger commercial was part of a film “66 Scenes from
America” by Director Jorgen Leth in 1982 and was meant to highlight different
aspects of the modern American society. However, Burger King had obtained
approval from the Andy Warhol Foundation to use the clip as the advert. The giant
fast food restaurant is now inviting Americans to enjoy their whoopers using
the hashtag #EatLikeAndy

Burger King wanted its consumers to know that whoppers are for everyone; the wealthy, the famous, the poor, the athletes and the artists and that is the reason why they used Andy Warhol. Warhol on the other hand once said “What’s great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest.” I tend to believe that these two statements are more or less passing the same information.

The irony of the advert is that Warhol might not really have been a big fan of Burger King Whoppers but instead he was a fun of its competitor McDonald’s because he once wrote in his book, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol “The most beautiful thing in Stockholm is the McDonalds. The most beautiful thing in Florence is the McDonald’s.” The advert has raised different reactions but basically the point was to get more buyers for the Burger King Whoppers; both the wealthy and the poor.

Here’s some food for thought, would Warhol actually agree to do an advert for Burger King Whoppers if he were still alive or would he still be a fun of McDonald’s?

]]>https://artiholics.com/2019/02/04/burger-king-features-andy-warhol-for-its-super-bowl-liii-commercial/feed/0Dr. Bendor’s Cat Destroys Rare Paintinghttps://artiholics.com/2019/01/16/dr-bendors-cat-destroys-rare-painting/
https://artiholics.com/2019/01/16/dr-bendors-cat-destroys-rare-painting/#respondWed, 16 Jan 2019 17:43:36 +0000https://artiholics.com/?p=14307Before you get a pet, you cannot quite imagine what living with one can be like, it just doesn’t come on a silver platter; you have to keep it clean, ensure it is well fed and of course healthy. However, once you become fond of it, you cannot imagine living without it; it becomes your …

Before you get a pet,
you cannot quite imagine what living with one can be like, it just doesn’t come
on a silver platter; you have to keep it clean, ensure it is well fed and of
course healthy. However, once you become fond of it, you cannot imagine living
without it; it becomes your best friend or even your family.

Dr. Bendor Grosvenor Photo Courtesy of internet

Pets are amazing and adorable and all those other cute names you would want to call them however, it’s not always the red-roses kind of beauty with them around. Pets do mess things up especially in our houses for instance: the dog can eat your homework or that very important document from your lawyer or the cat can pour your last jug of milk and actually drink it like it was theirs from the beginning. Annoying, right? The irony of it is that we still keep them around and can go a little crazy if they go missing for a few hours.

Dr. Bendor Grosvenor, a
British art historian, is also a victim of the mess created by pets. His
situation can actually be termed as a disaster. He invested roughly $12,800 in
the purchase and restoration of a portrait of a man by the 17th
century British artist John Michael Wright only for his cat to destroy it
within seconds. Dr. Bendor bought the painting in 2015 because it was in
excellent condition, the details were still in good condition and Mr. Wright
was one of his favorite artists and has spent quite a lot in its restoration.

His cat never really
need a lot of effort to actually destroy the piece, pets don’t really need that
much effort to cause a mess do they? The cat jumped and forcefully landed at
the center of the painting. Luckily it landed on his clothing and not the face
on the painting. $12,800 down the drain like its nothing, sad right? Maybe it
is the cost that comes with keeping a pet.

It will cost Dr. Bendor
almost the same amount it did while he was buying the painting to repair the
painting. The damage is fixable but it will obviously won’t be the same again.

]]>https://artiholics.com/2019/01/16/dr-bendors-cat-destroys-rare-painting/feed/0Highlights from TEFAF New Yorkhttps://artiholics.com/2018/10/29/highlights-from-tefaf-new-york/
https://artiholics.com/2018/10/29/highlights-from-tefaf-new-york/#respondMon, 29 Oct 2018 23:38:33 +0000http://artiholics.com/?p=14096The 67th Regiment Armory on the Upper East Side was buzzing on Friday afternoon. The works range widely—from antiquities, rare books, and maps to vintage jewels, Asian ceramics, and scrolls, and even modern American paintings. The fair, which originated in the Netherlands in Maastricht, now takes place twice a year in New York, in the spring …

]]>The 67th Regiment Armory on the Upper East Side was buzzing on Friday afternoon. The works range widely—from antiquities, rare books, and maps to vintage jewels, Asian ceramics, and scrolls, and even modern American paintings. The fair, which originated in the Netherlands in Maastricht, now takes place twice a year in New York, in the spring and the fall, with the latter season, weighted toward Old Masters and historic works. Source Artnet.com

]]>https://artiholics.com/2018/10/29/highlights-from-tefaf-new-york/feed/0Making The Independent Artists Voices Heardhttps://artiholics.com/2018/10/25/making-the-independent-artists-voices-heard/
https://artiholics.com/2018/10/25/making-the-independent-artists-voices-heard/#respondThu, 25 Oct 2018 23:49:29 +0000http://artiholics.com/?p=14101Clio Art Fair has been and still is the main art fair for independent artists in New York and was born from the idea of Founder and Director Alessandro Berni in 2014, of celebrating and promoting emerging artists. It has now fully established itself attracting artists from all walks of life and runs twice every …

]]>Clio Art Fair has been and still is the main art fair for independent artists in New York and was born from the idea of Founder and Director Alessandro Berni in 2014, of celebrating and promoting emerging artists. It has now fully established itself attracting artists from all walks of life and runs twice every year in March and October. The fair focuses its attention on the kinds of contemporary art and interventions that are being created by independent artists; artists who do not have any exclusive gallery representation in New York.

Clio Art Fair is a unique form of fair because it gives artists the freedom to use different types of material to create their work and they can deviate from the accepted art practice and definitions, unlike in the usual concerns in the art business where there are too many rules on how art should and should not be; after all art is about freedom to express yourself and your thoughts right?

To celebrate or to make famous are the terms that define the Greek word “Clio” and for the second time in 2018, the 7th edition of Clio Art Fair is going to do as per its meaning and norm; to celebrate and make famous works of already affirmed creative minds. The world of art will converge in New York City and this weekend will undoubtedly be an amazing one for artists and art lovers. The four spectacular days from 11th October- 14th October 2018 will be defined by dialogue between artists and collectors, artists and curators, positive energy, colors, and free public viewing. Art lovers will get to see different artworks not forgetting the faces behind them and there will be a chance to buy any piece of art that you will love from paintings, sculptures, digital art and more. Talent from all over the world will all be under one roof.

From October11-14, a group of 69 worldwide artists will be exhibiting their works, they will showcase their prowess and prove their creativity and originality as far as art is concerned. These creative minds will convince the world that art is beautiful, art is capable of bringing people together and that it is a career just like any other. The 7th edition of Clio Art Fair has the privilege to showcase thrilling works of artists such as Francesca Schwartz, Paulina Cerda, Amanda Armstrong, and Emiko Aida among many others.

Art is always up for grabs with every edition of Clio Art Fair and with its unique approach to art, it continues to highlight the achievements of artists. From upcoming artists to the well-known ones, all stand a chance to exhibit in New York. Clio Art Fair is home to creative artists sharing their expression of art to the world.

]]>https://artiholics.com/2018/10/25/making-the-independent-artists-voices-heard/feed/0The Bronx Museum adds a branch in Manhattanhttps://artiholics.com/2018/10/01/the-bronx-museum-adds-a-branch-in-manhattan/
https://artiholics.com/2018/10/01/the-bronx-museum-adds-a-branch-in-manhattan/#respondMon, 01 Oct 2018 23:09:24 +0000http://artiholics.com/?p=14087The Bronx Museum of the Arts is expanding into Manhattan. The Bronx Museum of the Arts will open an auxiliary space this year in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan, hopping boroughs to operate an additional 4,500 square foot location for exhibitions, performances, artist talks, and workshops. The initial plan calls for the museum to occupy the space …

The Bronx Museum of the Arts will open an auxiliary space this year in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan, hopping boroughs to operate an additional 4,500 square foot location for exhibitions, performances, artist talks, and workshops.

The initial plan calls for the museum to occupy the space at no cost for seven years, Martin Weinstein said. It’s set to open by early 2019.

The museum has raised more than $15 million to make key enhancements and upgrades at its home along the Bronx’s Grand Concourse, Ms. Cullen said. A $10 million endowment campaign also is planned, using an anonymous $1 million contribution.

Ms. Cullen said the Manhattan move doesn’t deflect from the museum’s mission in its home borough. At the same time, she said, “It’s an opportunity for us to bring the best of the Bronx into another space.” Source: Wsj.com

The museum announced its intentions to utilize the location at 80 White Street, focusing on expanding the program Artist in the Marketplace (AIM) by supporting 36 emerging artist fellows and 10 alumni residents. The artist-training program offers career management, mentorship, peer and professional support, and studio access, reinforcing “the museum’s mission to champion under-recognized voices and support innovative cultural production to ensure that New York’s diverse creative community continues to thrive.” Source Hyperallergic.com

]]>https://artiholics.com/2018/10/01/the-bronx-museum-adds-a-branch-in-manhattan/feed/0FOR THE PUBLIChttps://artiholics.com/2018/06/24/for-the-public/
https://artiholics.com/2018/06/24/for-the-public/#respondMon, 25 Jun 2018 02:30:19 +0000http://artiholics.com/?p=13742“In every work of art, the artist himself is present.” This is a quote from one Christian Morgenstern. Whenever we look at any work of art, we see the artist in it and this applies accurately especially in cases where the artist passed away. We all love beautiful memories especially of people who made history …

]]>“In every work of art, the artist himself is present.” This is a quote from one Christian Morgenstern. Whenever we look at any work of art, we see the artist in it and this applies accurately especially in cases where the artist passed away. We all love beautiful memories especially of people who made history in life; we want to have a part of them with us, it makes us feel as if they never left us anyway. It helps us cope with the fact that they are no longer with us. The work an artist leaves behind acts as a “souvenir” to the art lovers.

Roy Lichtenstein (who passed away in 1997) was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Roy showed artistic skills as a teenager as he began painting, drawing and spending many hours in museums. His journey as an artist carried on until the time of his demise. He was preeminently identified with Pop Art, a movement that he helped originate. Two years after his demise, The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation began operating. It was set up in order to facilitate public access to his work, create a catalogue of all known works of Roy and to share information which could assist the development and education of the next generations of curators, critics and scholars. This brings us to the questions: A whole foundation? How much work had he created? He had created more than 5,000 paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures and murals. This is totally amazing, a whole foundation for an artist because his works just have to be seen by the public. Well, he sure lived his artistic life to the fullest.

(Photo Courtesy of Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images)

The foundation has been up and operational until recently when it closed down and donated 400 works to two American Museums: Whitney Museum, New York and Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC. After many years of operating then now close down? Why? What reason can be good enough to close it down? Art lovers probably have a frown on their face right now but don’t, all this was for a good course, maybe even a better course. Closing the foundation down and giving its remains to the museums is part of its mission; to widely disseminate Roy’s work to the public. This is literally a win to the museums donated because it means lots of art lovers streaming in to see Roy’s work. For the public also, they get to see Roy’s creativity. It’s a “jackpot” for both parties.

Photo Courtesy of Whitney Museum

What is the deal for these museums and the donations? The best part of the donation was that the museums were given the freedom to pick the works they wanted. Whitney Museum got 400 works which is about half of the foundation’s holdings, the curators of Whitney chose 5 paintings, 17 sculptures and 145 prints. Among the key pieces chosen by the Whitney museum were his sculptures titled ”Head of a girl” (1964) and ”Pilot” (1948) all which will be available for public viewing. Smithsonian Archive of American Art on the other hand got 500,000 documents which will be digitized and made publicly available online, this is expected to take between five and seven years.

Photo Courtesy of Whitney Museum

It is relatively rare for a foundation representing an artist of Roy’s caliber to just stop operating but the good side of it is that the mission has been achieved. Foundations are meant to achieve their missions and The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation has achieved their’s.

]]>https://artiholics.com/2018/06/24/for-the-public/feed/0Gordon Matta-Clark is back in the Bronxhttps://artiholics.com/2018/03/24/gordon-matta-clark-back-bronx/
https://artiholics.com/2018/03/24/gordon-matta-clark-back-bronx/#respondSun, 25 Mar 2018 02:06:50 +0000http://artiholics.com/?p=13553Best known for his monumental cuts, holes, apertures, and excisions to the facades of derelict homes and historic buildings in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and abroad, Gordon Matta-Clark’s work conveys a potent critique of architecture’s role vis-à-vis the capitalist system. Taking as a point of departure the pivotal series of “cuts” produced in the …

]]>Best known for his monumental cuts, holes, apertures, and excisions to the facades of derelict homes and historic buildings in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and abroad, Gordon Matta-Clark’s work conveys a potent critique of architecture’s role vis-à-vis the capitalist system. Taking as a point of departure the pivotal series of “cuts” produced in the Bronx in the early 1970s that led to his further exploration of the city as a field of action, Gordon Matta-Clark: Anarchitect will examine the artist’s pioneering social, relational, and activist approach. The exhibition highlights the political dialogue inherent in the artist’s artistic interventions—from his concern for the extreme plight of the homeless, his interest in direct community engagement, his belief that we should expand our lived experience of a city into its underground and other inaccessible spaces, and his commentary on development and socioeconomic stratification. Source: Bronxmuseum.org

The son of surrealist artist Roberto Matta and a graduate of the Cornell School of Architecture, Matta-Clark took a guerrilla approach to both his work and his environs, perhaps best exemplified by Window Blowout (1976), a series of photos of desolate housing projects included in an exhibit at the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in midtown. The night before the exhibit opened, Matta-Clark took an air gun and shot out the building’s windows, infuriating the institute’s founder, architect Peter Eisenman. The next day, Matta-Clark’s photos were removed from the exhibit and he was barred from the gallery. He died in 1978, of cancer, at 35 — and his work is once again drawing attention, According to Vulture.com

Courtesy: The Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark/Courtesy of the Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark and David Zwirner, New York/London

Courtesy: The Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark/Courtesy of the Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark and David Zwirner, New York/London

Courtesy: The Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark/Courtesy of the Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark and David Zwirner, New York/London